So you’ve recently tackled the world of social media to help grow your business. You have a flourishing Facebook page and the leads are starting to roll in. We all know Facebook has many benefits as it is easy to use and it’s full of potential clients. But let’s talk about Instagram. Contrary to belief, Instagram is more than food shots and selfies! With over 700 million users, this platform is actually a very beneficial tool for your real estate marketing efforts.

This visually heavy medium is ideal for showcasing photos and videos of your listings, happy clients, and behind the scenes of your day to day grind. But here’s the catch: you must post original content. Remember, your followers are following YOU. Actively posting original and unique content will catch the eye of your next customer. This will also show potential clients that you are working hard to sell or find that home fast.

Instagram is a great tool to drive client engagement. Actively posting content and responding to comments is a start but you must do more than that if you want a successful page. I encourage you to start engaging with content posted by your community and local influencers. It is kind of like networking, the more you do it the more you will gain. Not only will you build a strong online presence, you will attract new customers, increase word of mouth referrals, and maintain client loyalty.

The next step to Instagram victory, is to hashtag, hashtag, hashtag! If you have no idea where to start, I suggest researching the trending real estate and local hashtags. By picking industry appropriate and popular hashtags, you will place your posts right in front of your target audience.

Instagram can be easy and fun! With a little bit of effort and some creativity, your page can increase your business in no time. Just remember, there are many Realtors out there but only one you! Let your personality shine.

Did you love this blog? Stay tuned for more real estate tips and tricks at the one and only First International Title.

Social media is a wonderful thing. You can stay in touch with friends on a daily basis, follow current news stories, and even use it to promote your business. Facebook has become the ideal platform for real estate agents to increase their marketing efforts and make more money. But why Facebook?

The number one reason you need Facebook for your business is reach. Facebook remains the largest social media platform as there are over 1.3 billion members worldwide. You could join every networking group in your area and cold call all day long but still not reach half that amount of people. Tell me where else you have the ability to connect with a billion people? Go ahead. I’ll wait…

Now that we know why you should use Facebook for your real estate business, let’s discuss how to use it. Just having a Facebook account will do nothing for your business. You have to actively engage with your audience. This is much simpler than you may think.

The first step is to create a Facebook business page. According to Facebook’s Terms of Services policy, it is in violation of their policy to create a Facebook profile page for conducting business. You wouldn’t want to use your personal profile anyhow. A Facebook business page has way more benefits than a profile. For example, let’s look at Facebook insights. This is where you can see your hard work and efforts pay off. Not only can you see how many people have ‘liked’ your page, you can see how much reach your posts are actually getting.  Facebook insights helps to see what works and what doesn’t.

Now that you’ve created your business page, you want to give it curb appeal. Make sure to update the profile and cover photo with high quality pictures. I suggest putting a professional head shot as your profile photo. We all know you’re cute but let’s keep the selfies for your personal profile page! The next step is to fill out the ‘about’ section. This is not a resume. Feel free to be yourself and show some personality.

The call to action button is relatively new to Facebook but I highly suggest you add one. There are several options such as ‘Call Now’ or ‘Learn More’. Pick whichever is best for your business. In order for you to optimize the reach in your area, be sure that ‘Similar Page Suggestions’ is checked within your settings. This will enable your business page to be displayed as a page that Facebook users might like.
You’ve finally completed your business page. Now what? It’s time to create some content and post! The million dollar question remains…. “What do I post?” You want to share engaging content. Do not, I repeat, do not solely post listings. While it is great to give your listings exposure, you want to present content your audience actually wants to read. About 20 percent of your content should be business related. The other 80 percent should be entertaining. After all, you don’t want to just sell. The goal is to build relationships with repeat customers. For the business portion, share listings, industry related advice, open house announcements, or whatever you see fit. For the rest, post news articles, funny videos, life hacks, etc. Pay attention to what your followers post and like. I guarantee you that your impressions, shares, and likes will increase exponentially. And if you get brave enough, start writing your own blogs and creating videos to share.

Social media marketing can sometimes be a chore. It takes a lot of trial and error, adjustment, and effort. But you may grow to love it once you start seeing the results! Hard work truly does pay off.

Did you love this blog? Stay tuned for more real estate tips and tricks at the one and only First International Title.

Selecting a Realtor for the sale or purchase of your home is a big decision. Just because someone passed the real estate exam does not mean they are a good fit for your transaction. With so many to choose from, which one is right for you?

First and foremost, look up your prospective agent’s license. How long have they been in business? Have there been any disciplinary actions or complaints? This information may be posted online and will be beneficial to making an educated decision.

Check out the agent’s reviews online. Are past clients happy with their service? Or was it a complete nightmare? Obviously, you want to know what you are getting yourself into.

Choosing the most successful Realtor means you are choosing the busiest Realtor. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, if you are a first time home buyer you may want to choose someone who can take extra time to guide you along the way. Although experience and success are important factors, motivation and determination are vital characteristics of a skilled agent.

Make sure you research the Realtor’s marketing efforts. This is huge. Do they hire professional photographers to take enticing pictures of your home? Do their home descriptions make you want to view that house? Are they highly active on social media? These are all very important marketing questions that need to be answered before you choose the right agent. Proper marketing ensures a faster sale of your home.

Last but certainly not least, choose a Realtor whom you are comfortable with. This will make it easier to voice any concerns you may have. After all, communication is key. If you have to wait a while for a call or text back for basic information, chances are they won’t be available when something important happens.

Only you can determine which Realtor is the right fit for the job. Take your time and interview a few agents. Real estate is kind of like love; when you know you know.